now and then
/ˌnaʊ ən(d)ˈðɛn/
"now-and-then" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“now and then” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.
Corpus desk
Index EN-now-and-then · now and then · English
now and then · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 12 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "N" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | now and then |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˌnaʊ ən(d)ˈðɛn/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “now and then” in English
Rare enough to double-check
now and then is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˌnaʊ ən(d)ˈðɛn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for now and then, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: Compare Dutch nu en dan, West Frisian no en dan. The correct English form is now and then, spelled N-O-W- -A-N-D- -T-H-E-N.
Definition
- 1Synonym of occasionally, sometimes, intermittently.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how now and then appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Call your mother now and then and let her know you care.
Turn around, bright eyes / Every now and then, I fall apart
Etymology
Compare Dutch nu en dan, West Frisian no en dan.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.